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Healthy Garza 'excited' to pitch, prove himself

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MESA, Ariz. -- Cubs pitcher Matt Garza feels he's right on schedule for Spring Training, but what happens beyond this season for the right-hander, who will be a free agent, is not something he's worried about.

"My goal is to go out there and pitch and prove I'm healthy enough and make them want me to stay," Garza said Monday. "That's my job. Right now, there's all the questions -- 'How's he going to come back? How's he going to rebound?' Those are legitimate questions.

"I haven't thrown off the mound competitively for two months," he said. "Now I'm feeling great and having great bullpens and excited to be pitching. All I know is April 1 is Game 1, and I want to be there."

Garza hasn't pitched since July 21. He was shut down after that because of problems with his right elbow, the cause of which is still baffling. Doctors told him he needed rest. Garza then spent the offseason getting everything in shape, and that, he said, includes "every little muscle, every toe muscle, every finger muscle."

"That was my goal this offseason, to make sure everything was in shape," Garza said. "I feel great, and I feel I'm in a great state of mind, great shape, and I'm glad to be back on the mound."

He was a hot topic at the Trade Deadline last July, but his injury ended interest. The Cubs did deal Ryan Dempster and Paul Maholm at that time. Could Garza be going this year?

"My name's popped up every year of my professional career," he said. "It's all the same to me. I'm just happy to be back pitching. Yeah, it's a big year. It doesn't matter -- if we win, we all win. We get to October, that's the only thing I play for is to get to October."

The rules have changed for free agents, which has left a pitcher like Kyle Lohse looking for work as camps open. He declined a qualifying offer from the Cardinals, and any team that signs him would have to give up a Draft pick.

"That's out of my hands," Garza said when asked to compare his situation to Lohse's. "I have to pitch. If I pitch well enough and good enough, that's not going to matter. If I go out there and do what I'm capable of doing and toe the rubber every five days and be as consistent as I need to be and as durable as I have my entire career, it's not going to matter. I'm just going to go out there and pitch and make people want me."

Garza, who was 5-7 with a 3.91 ERA in 18 starts last season with the Cubs, has had no problems in early workouts at Fitch Park. He's already throwing 45 pitches in bullpen sessions, working on fastball command. Cubs manager Dale Sveum mentioned Garza as one of the options for Opening Day.

"Right now, I'm just glad to be in the mix to start," Garza said. "There could've been a lot of setbacks. I'm just glad to be able to start."